The Worldgate
by G'lek
Summary: The forest behind Michael's house has a secret.  A doorway, a Worldgate, through space and time, from our world to the world of Berk, and many more.  What happens when Michael falls through?  T for some langauge, later chapters might be M for violence.
1. The Hidden Door

A/N: Well, I said the first chapter would be up, and here it is. Read on (I've got more to say at the bottom).

Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD, Hiccup, Toothless, or anything related to them. Everything is mine.

"Oh, this is just great!" Michael muttered to himself, kicking a log as he walked past. He was walking in the forest behind his school (and his house, they were back to back) after a long day, and an even longer past couple of minutes. It had started the way it always did. Ral and his friends had approached him after class, asking him casually what he thought about his new hand-held game unit. Michael had, with some thinly veiled insults thrown in, told him exactly what he thought about the unit HE had wanted for his last birthday. That had earned him some verbal abuse, but not much more. It was after he had left the school yard and was hiking through the forest toward his home that they had ambushed him. It took nearly seven minutes for them to finish beating him. After, he waited another three minutes for the pain to subside enough for him to become mobile again, then started walking home.

He was taking a roundabout route home because he wanted to delay the inevitable as long as possible. Michael knew what would happen at home, and he really didn't want to go through with that. It would start with his mom, cooking dinner, shaking her head before returning to cooking. His dad would then shout himself hoarse about why his son started fights he couldn't end, and why on Earth his son didn't fight back or take self-defense classes or something. His younger sister would then come and laugh at her "funny colored" brother, before his older sister took him upstairs, iced his bruises, patched his scratches, and left him to brood until dinner.

As he walked through the forest, Michael failed to notice the subtle shift of light, the change in temperature, the sudden dampness in the air, or the large pit that had appeared in front of him. As such, he fell face first down a cliff into a circular ravine (or cove, as he would later come to call it). Luckily, he landed in water. Now he was glad he had invested in a water-proof laptop backpack with built in solar recharger. His school supplies, on the other hand, were not so lucky.

"Ah, that's just freakin' beautiful." He cursed. "Now my homework is ruined, along with my textbooks, notebooks, and just about everything else in my backpack."

A short swim later found him sitting on the shore examining his supplies. He looked at what he had. His lunch (which he hadn't eaten, like usual), his survival kit (always with him at his mother's insistence), his laptop (he never went anywhere without it), a pile of soggy paper (all that remained of his school supplies), and his 50 calibre Magnum with 3 spare clips. The Magnum had been a gift from his uncle, who lived in the the US and was an ex-marine. Lifting the gun, he checked it over before putting a round in the chamber. Satisfied that it was in working condition, he snapped the spare clips to his belt, put the gun in its holster, shouldered his laptop, and headed for a small crack in the cove walls.

-IMALINEIMALINEIMALINE-

Toothless flared his wings, cupping them to catch the air and slow his descent. He landed, skipping a step to avoid tripping, and then lowered his right shoulder so Hiccup could dismount. The boy slid off the dragon's back and looked around the cove where he and Toothless had first met.

"It feels good to be back here, eh buddy?" He said, looking toward Toothless to see the dragon's response. Instead of paying attention to Hiccup, Toothless was staring at a black lump on the ground surrounded by several smaller lumps of various colors. Hiccup carefully approached the strange object, Toothless following closely and growling the whole way. The boy knelt down to examine the object. It was a pack of some kind, if the various pouches and compartments were anything to go by. The position of the straps made it seem like it was meant to be carried on someone's back. However, it was too small for any Viking Hiccup knew excepts the other teens.

The piles around the pack were paper. Very wet paper. Gently flipping pages, Hiccup tried to make sense of the words that weren't bled out from the soaking. The language was strange. However, he recognized some of the math symbols, like plus or minus. However, there was math that he couldn't begin to understand. The quantity and quality of the paper was incredible. Paper was hard to come by in Berk, which was why Hiccup valued his notebook so much. Whoever left this must have come from a place where paper was as common as alcohol was in a Viking village.

"What'cha thinking, bud?" Hiccup asked the dragon next to him. "Think you can track whoever left this stuff here?"

Toothless grunted and leaned down to smell the collection of paper and the pack. It took several seconds for him to get a good scent (the water had washed a fair bit of it away). Once he had it, he perked up and began making ever widening circles, trying to pickup the scent. It was a human, but he smelled clean... well, cleaner then most Vikings. There was a slightly metallic quality to the scent, mixed with a sulfurous smell. He ignored it. He chirped at Hiccup, signaling the boy that he had the scent.

"Great work Toothless." He said, which earned a purr of satisfaction from the dragon. "Lets go find him."

Toothless unfurled his wings and made the quick jump to the spot where the crack in the cove walls lead to. Hiccup dismounted and the pair began to follow the dragon's sensitive nose.

A/N 2: And? Hate? Like? Want to murder me? See that button? The one that says review? Click it, I love to hear what people have to say. However, flames will be used to roasty marshmallows! Just a note, the gun isn't just for show. It'll get used on someone, and the recipient won't enjoy it *Evil smile*.

A/N 3: Updated - Fixed a few spelling mistakes. Thanks to those who pointed them out.


	2. The Other Side

Answers to Questions from Reviews

EmilyMichele01: So, just wondering...Is this after the plot of the how to train your dragon movie took place or during or is it not even related?

Answer: This is about 2 weeks after the movie.

A/N: Welcome back, friends... Well, I hope you're friends. I hate it when the trolls visit disguised as my friends. This chapter is rated Mature because someone gets shot, which means lots of blood and gruesome descriptions. Read on (if you have the guts).

Disclaimer: In no way to I own or claim ownership of HTTYD and related material with the exception of the Shadowy Shifter, which is mine.

Michael stomped along through the forest. His day just kept getting better and better. Now he was lost in some strange forest. His cell phone (which had somehow survived being dunked) couldn't get a signal. So, he was lost, had no way to communicate or find his way home, and now he was getting hungry.

Michael sat down on a rock in a small clearing and got his lunch out. It wasn't much, a baloney sandwich. With a sigh, he took a bite and looked at his surroundings. The forest was old, that much he was certain of. The trees were tall and thick at the base. Most of them were coniferous, some sort of spruce or pine. He honestly didn't care. Plants held no interest to him. In the distance, he could see a mountain rising up. It seemed to just rise up, like a giant tooth. The air was slightly salty, which Michael assumed meant he was near the ocean.

Suddenly, Michael heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Quick as lightning, he had the Magnum out and pointed in the direction of the noise. From the bushes emerged a lizard with... wings? He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Before him was a tiny dragon, about the size of a large dog. It was sniffing the air curiously.

The dragon was colored a slate grey from head to toe. From its upper jaw came two sharp looking fangs. It didn't have front legs, it's wings served the same function. It looked toward him, sniffing hungrily. With no warning, the dragon pounced, hissing. Michael had been in Army Cadets for 4 years and had been the best with a firearm of all of them. It helped that he had gone on the week long trip to a real army boot camp. Most of the other cadets went through the grinder and came out in pieces. He hadn't. That training kicked in as he sighted on the creature and squeezed the trigger twice.

The first round caught the dragon's leg, tearing it to bloody shreds. The second round hit the dragon's chest, causing a gory flower to bloom there and sending blood and chunks of bone in all directions. However, the 50 caliber rounds weren't heavy enough to stop the dragon completely. It somehow managed to land on his arm and clamped down hard with its fangs.

Had Michael known anything about the land he was in, he would have known that the dragon attacking him was a Shadowy Shifter. They were almost as rare as the Night Fury. Unlike the Night Fury, who was never seen in the first place, a Shadowy Shifter always revealed itself to its prey before attacking. Those who were attacked simply vanished and no body was ever found. It was said that a bite from this dragon would lay a curse on the person bitten although it was never said what the curse was or what it did.

Michael ground his teeth to avoid crying out in pain. He quickly switched the Magnum to his left hand and aimed for the dragon's head. He pulled the trigger once, showering the area with blood, bone, and brain matter as the dragon lost the upper half of its skull. With some effort, Michael managed to pry the now dead dragon off his arm. The world seemed to spin around him like some crazy carnival ride. He tried to move away from the corpse, but as he took the first step, the world swam and then went black.

-IAMALINE-

"Did you hear that!" Hiccup said to the dragon on whose back he was riding. Toothless grunted his affirmation. "Lets go see what the noise is about." Toothless banked in the direction of the loud noises and quickly picked up the scent of blood. Following the scent back to its source, the dragon and human quickly found a small clearing with two bodies in it.

One body was a grey dragon. Most of its skull was missing. Toothless growled a warning just in case whoever did this was still nearby. Hiccup had already gotten off the dragon's back and was examining the teenager lying to one side.

"Toothless, come over here." Hiccup said. The dragon walked over, giving the corpse a wide berth. The smell coming off it told Toothless it had venom in it. He had no desire to be poisoned. The dragon reached Hiccup and turned his attention to the teenager lying on the ground.

He was dressed in clothes unlike any either boy or dragon had seen before. They were tightly woven from some strange material. It was a huge difference from the coarse clothing Vikings wore. On his back was a strange purple shell, hard and shiny. The straps going around the stranger's shoulders told Hiccup this was a pack similar to the one left in the cove. In one hand was a lumpy looking piece of metal. Hiccup couldn't figure out what it was but Toothless obviously thought it was a weapon since most metal used by the Vikings was used to make swords and other war devices. The other arm had blood seeping through the clothing. Lifting it up, Hiccup spotted two fang marks. The area around the bite was turning black.

"He's poisoned!" Hiccup gasped. "Come on Toothless, we have to get him back to the village so the healers can help him."

With some struggling, the pair managed to get the stranger onto Toothless' back. Hiccup noticed a holster on the stranger's belt. The lumpy metal weapon looked like it would fit there. Hiccup slid the weapon into the leather pouch, clicking the safety strap over it to hold it in place. Then, Hiccup got onto Toothless' back and the pair were soon winging their way back to Berk.

A/N 2: Click the review button... please? I love to hear what people say about my stories. As before, flames will be used to roast marshmallows :) The gun will appear again before the story is over, so there will be more shooting (for you adrenaline junkies who can't go three seconds without something being shot). Next chapter is where things get... "interesting". And by interesting I mean, someone is going to wake up and find he's not the same person as before. In more ways then one. Think about it... Until next time, Shorah.


	3. The Awakening

A/N: I had this question, and after reading the first chapter, I must agree, it's not clear where the holster for the Magnum comes from. It was already in the pack. Also, someone expressed that they did not like how Michael had the gun at school. I'll explain that in a later chapter. That same person pointed out that a .50 calibre gun would have a pretty big recoil. Remember that Michael has military training. That's all for now. So, chapter 3, read on (and stick around to here what I have to say afterwards).

Also, a surprising number of people have told me they know where I'm going with this. To those people, you're close. But there's one thing that you're overlooking. Evolution. Read on to find out.

Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD or any related material *sad face*.

Michael groaned. He was sore all over. It was like the morning after drinking too much and making some rather stupid decisions. "Anyone get the number of the guy that hit me?" He mumbled to himself sarcastically.

"If someone had hit you, you'd probably wouldn't have survived." An equally sarcastic voice replied from the bedside.

"What the hell!" Michael proclaimed as he sat straight up and looked around. The house was a crude log cabin, but huge none the less. There was a loft with stairs leading to it on one side of the room. The ground floor was one big living area with a fireplace in the middle. The source of the voice was sitting in a chair next to the bed. She looked about 16 with blond hair. Michael couldn't tell since she was sitting, but he guessed she was about a head shorter then him (his head, of course). She was wearing a blue wool tunic with armoured shoulder pads and a skirt studded with metal. Her boots were leather of some sort lined with fur.

"Ok, who the fuck are you?" Michael asked, staring.

"Calm down." She replied, sounding annoyed with his manners. "I'm Astrid. You're safe right now."

"Bull! I have no clue where I am, none of my stuff works, and I was just attacked by a lizard the size of a freaking dog before passing out!"

"Yah, most people don't survive a toe-to-toe encounter with a dragon, especially if it's their first time. Which obviously, for you, it is."

"D-d-dragon?" Michael stammered. "That's not possible. Dragon's are myth, legends meant to amuse people and express the human fear of snakes, reptiles, fire, and things that fly. They don't exist."

"Yah, they do." Astrid promptly launched into an impossible story about a boy named Hiccup who had shot down a Night Fury (the rarest of dragons apparently) and befriended it. As she talked, Michael reached down to the holster on his belt and freed the safety strap from his handgun. Faster then most can blink (thank god for that week in boot camp), Michael had the weapon up and pointed at the girl.

"Ok, that's more then enough." He said, clicking the safety off. "You're going to take me to whoever is running this crazy show and I'm going to get some real answers. Whoever it is may have you fooled by whatever lie he's invented, but I sure as hell ain't."

"Or you'll what?" She replied, venom dripping from here words. "You'll hit me with you're lump of metal?"

"Did this 'Hiccup' tell you what happened to that 'dragon' that attacked me?"

"He said it was missing most of its head. Something must have eaten it before Hiccup landed."

"Wrong. This 'lump of metal' is a gun. This is what tore the lizard's head off, along with a chunk of its torso and all of its rear left leg."

Astrid was now eyeing the gun with a look of both disbelief and suspicion.

"Prove it." She challenged.

"I really don't think you want me to do that. Now start walking."

Despite her obvious doubts about the true power of the gun, she complied. She lead Michael out of the house and through the village. Michael couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dragons, everywhere. And the people. Vikings. That was the only word Michael could think of to accurately describe these people. He kept the gun mostly hidden from view. People were staring at him as much as he at they. After all, he was still dressed in his modern day clothes of synthetic material, his blue denim jeans, and light windbreaker which was actually a layer of plastic over a layer of cloth (it was dirt cheap and kept most of the water and wind out).

Before long, they reached a house on a hill, the biggest and most decorated of them all. The girl walked confidently up the steps and pounded on the door. It was answered by a monster of a man who was easily a head or two taller then Michael and looked like he was pure muscle. Behind him was a twig of a boy, about the same age as Astrid and just as short. He had reddish hear and pine green eyes. They both exited the house and then the real shocker hit. The black creature following them looked like a cross between a black panther, lizard, and a bat. Everything about this dragon spoke power, grace, and danger. He growled at Michael who took a step back. Astrid smirked at this.

"So, you're up!" The large man exclaimed.

"Yah, he's up." Astrid replied. "And he wanted to see you, Stoick."

"Ah, did he now? Well, what can I do for you stranger? You're welcome to stay in Berk as long as you need, so long as you pull your weight."

"That's very generous sir." Michael replied, trying to be courteous. "But I really should get home. My parents are probably worried about me."

"Ah, true, true. We'll get you right there. Which island are you from?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Island boy, what island?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

However, nothing more could be said as when Michael replied, he shifted just enough for Toothless to spot the gun in his hand. Toothless' experience with metal objects pointed at people you care about generally involved those objects being weapons, and he was quite fond of Astrid. Without warning, the dragon jumped to disarm the stranger.

Michael reacted automatically when the black dragon pounced. The gun was focused on him nearly instantly and his finger was already squeezing the trigger. In his weakened state, the recoil almost put the gun in his face and his rear in the dirt. He barely managed to stay standing. The effect on the dragon was much more dramatic. Since Toothless was twisting to get around Hiccup and Stoick, the bullet missed his chest and head. Instead, it hit his side, tearing a huge chunk out before hitting the wood house beyond and burying itself there. Toothless dropped to the ground, screaming in pain and Hiccup was at his side faster then anyone thought he was capable of with his prosthetic.

Things went downhill from there. The scream seemed to tear right through Michael's head. It echoed in every cell of his body setting his nerves afire. The sensory overload was more then the weakened teen could handle and he collapsed to the ground.

Inside Michael, the venom of the Shadowy Shifter was beginning to work. It began breaking the teen's DNA apart, tearing it and rebuilding it. Normally this would have been a perfect process, but thousands of years of evolution had changed human DNA a great deal. The result of the venom's actions were messy. Instead of rebuilding the human's DNA into T-DNA (Triple DNA, instead of a double helix, a triple helix), the venom left behind a genetic soup of deconstructed DNA.

No one was really caring all that much about what was going on inside the teen's body. They were much more concerned about keeping Toothless alive. A Viking approached the concerned leader and asked, indicating the teen as he did so, "What about him?"

"Throw him in one of the cages in the ring." Stoick replied angrily. "If he manages to escape, the dragons nesting there will make sure he goes no further."

Grunting, the Viking threw Michael over his shoulder and walked to the old Kill Ring, now the nesting grounds for some of the Berk dragons. After chasing a Nadder out of one of the old cages, he dumped Michael on the ground, closed the doors, and activated the locking mechanism. Then he left. What he failed to notice was how all the dragons in the ring had gathered on the opposite side of the ring as the cage, putting as much distance as possible without leaving the ring outright.

A/N 2: So, there it is. *Ducks objects thrown by upset Toothless fans*. Sorry, but I had to set Michael up to be misunderstood. I AM writing a Friendship/Hurt-Comfort story. Toothless isn't the only one who gets injured before this is over. Thanks to those who reviewed, you know who you are. For those wondering, I was inspired for this story by Toothless-the-Nightfury and his story Blood of a Night Fury. Go read it. Bug him to make the next chapter (don't actually... that would be annoying).

Review, it helps me get better. As always, flames = roasted marshmallows.


	4. The Discovery

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 4. If the reviews are anything to go by, I caught some people off guard last chapter, specifically those who thought they knew what was going to happen. This chapter will be full of "interesting" stuff if you get my drift. If not, read on to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD or related material.

Michael grunted. Passing out was becoming way too common in his life. He tried to look at his surroundings, but it was futile. There was no light and therefore, nothing to see. The ground was hard, some sort of stone. There was something odd that Michael just couldn't place. This feeling in the back of his head that something was different. Whatever it was, it was subtle enough that he couldn't figure it out and he was by no means unintelligent.

Michael sighed, but it came out as a huff. _That was weird._ He stood up. His back felt too heavy. He reached around to see why but froze when his hands touched something leathery. Using his hands to explore the something, he quickly deduced what it was. A wing. He set about exploring himself. His next discovery was a tail. Long and flexible with four fins on the end, arranged in a + shape. He experimented with them, shifting their position and opening and closing them.

It took a while, but he quickly got a complete picture of his body. He was still shaped like a human with two arms, legs, a head, and such. However, every inch was covered in scales. What color, he wasn't sure. The tail and the wings were new, as was the crest that ran from the base of his neck to the base of his tail. Like the tail fins, he could open and close it. His neck was slightly longer and his head now attached at a right angle to said neck. His head now was a dragon's head, more like a traditional Western Dragon then the dragons he'd seen so far.

As he found more about his body, his terror began to grow exponentially. He was a half-dragon, an anthropomorphic dragon. He sat down with a thump and closed his eyes. His clothes were still on him, but had been torn in several places to let the new appendages out. He closed his eyes as despair overwhelmed him. _I just want to be human. Just want to be human._ As he thought this, his skin began to tingle, like millions of bugs were crawling over it. The weight on his back vanished and he found sitting to be suddenly much easier. Opening his eyes, he reached out to touch the his wings. They were gone. As was his tail, and every other dragon-like feature. He was human again. Except for his arm where he had been bitten. The bite and the surrounding flesh was still covered by scales.

Michael quickly concluded that he could shift from half-dragon to human at will. Wanting to test this new found ability, he closed his eyes and brought to mind an image of the black dragon he had shot just a short while ago. _That. I want to look like that._ He put everything he had into that thought. And it grew with a mind of its own. He imagined what it would be like, on four legs, wings, scales, the ears, the feeling of flight. The tingling started again and Michael quickly found himself forced onto all fours. The weight returned to his back. Opening his eyes, he found the chamber was no longer as dark as before. He could see a smidgen of light coming from somewhere. Enough that his new dragon vision could see.

It had worked. He had the body of a Night Fury. With one exception. His tail still possessed the four fins in a + shape. Ignoring that, he brought a different image to mind. A Nadder, although he didn't know that was the name for that species of dragon. The tingle returned and his body shifted again into a two legged stance. Then, it dawned on him. He could take on any dragon form he wished, both full and half. That bite, the venom, it must have changed him. Given him this power. Shocked, he shifted back to his anthropomorphic form, the one he had first found himself in. His mind was reeling from what had just happened to him.

The sound of the locking mechanism of his door pulled him out of his thoughts. Quickly, he shifted back to human. There was no way to hide his now ripped clothing, nor any way to explain it. The doors swung open revealing some familiar faces and others, not so familiar. Those he recognized were the large man, the young boy, and the young girl. The others were a man missing a hand and a leg, four other teens, two blond, one large, and one who looked way to smug, a small, frail looking old lady, and two very strong looking men. The large man spoke first.

"Well, you've got some explaining to do, boy... if that's what you really are."

"How would I be anything else?" Michael retorted.

"What did you do to Toothless!" The you boy shouted.

"He attacked me. I defended myself."

"You could have killed him! It'll be weeks before he can walk again! Months before he can fly or do anything physically demanding!"

"Fuck you to." Michael snapped back. "All I wanted was to go home. Now I've been attacked by two giant lizards and thrown into what I can only guess passes for a prison around here."

Hiccup's curiosity got the better of him. "Fuck? What does that mean?"

"Go ask your parents about where babies come from."

"Parent."

"What?"

"My mom died giving birth to me."

"Cry me a river."

"How about I throw you in one?"

"Hiccup, chill." The smug teen said. "You're only making a fool of yourself."

"Says you, Snotlout."

"Enough." The large man barked. "You," He said, indicating Michael, "will explain how your weapon works, how you got on the island of Berk, where you come from, everything you know, or I WILL let Hiccup have his way with you."

"Hurray." Michael responded sarcastically. "I can tell you everything I know, you won't believe me, I get a bath, then rot in this cell for the rest of my life."

"Start with the weapon."

"My gun? Where is it by the way?"

"Here." The girl said, passing the handgun to Michael.

"Simple. This is the clip." He pulled the clip out. "In it are bullets, little chunks of metal. When you pull the trigger, a little hammer hits the back of the round, igniting the gunpowder, which propels the metal down the barrel and into whatever you point it at."

"So the bang..." Hiccup mused.

"Is the gunpowder lighting. When the bullet leaves the gun, it's traveling faster then sound. That's how it does so much damage."

"So it's like a super-bow?"

"More like a ballista. And as for how I got here, I dunno. One moment I'm walking in the forest behind my house, the next I'm falling into that damn cove."

"And where you come from?" The large man inquired.

"Canada. If that means anything to you."

"No, it doesn't." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Well, we'll have to see how things turn out. You injured the Night Fury very badly. Like my son said, it will be a while before he is well again. He had several jobs here in Berk, one of which is looking after my son."

"Oh no, I see where this is going." Michael said, not liking this turn in the conversation.

"Regardless, you will have to take over his duties. You put him in his sick bed, you will have to take his place until he is well."

"Damn it."

"Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout, you will all take turns in watching him to make sure he doesn't try anything. When you are not helping my son," The man said, returning to Michael, "you will sleep either here or, if you are cooperative and Hiccup speaks well of you, you may earn a bed with one of the other teens."

"My life official sucks worse then before. I'd rather deal with Ray then with this bull."

"Ray?" Hiccup asked.

"Yah, big, muscled, brain like an ox. He gives me these," Michael said, indicating his black eye, "on a regular basis, about two or three times a week." Hiccup looked at Michael like he could understand where he was coming from. Being bullied, especially at eighteen years, was never fun.

"You start now." The man proclaimed.

"Beauty. I get to be a slave. Just what I always wanted."

"Just to get the rest of the introductions done, my name is Stoick, this here is Gobber, and this is our Elder."

"Fun stuff. You want this back?" Michael asked, twirling the gun on his finger.

"No, but I do want these 'clips' that you use in it."

"Here." Michael passed over the three spare clips plus the one from the gun.

"Good. Now Hiccup, I believe Gobber has some work for you."

"Yes dad." Hiccup sighed. "Come on, let's go."

"Right away boss." Michael replied, making it sound as insulting as possible.

A/N 2: HE LIVES! Well, of course he does. This wouldn't be a HTTYD story without Toothless. So, Michael can become any dragon he wants. How long can he keep it a secret? Time will tell. Probably not much time, since Hiccup is still a walking disaster waiting to happen. Toothless and Michael will bump heads again soon, after all, a Night Fury doesn't just forget about being shot, or forgive. I'm kinda tired at time of writing, so please forgive any spelling or grammar errors... or better yet, click the review button and point them out. I'll fix them ASAP.

As for those who thought they knew what was going to happen... You weren't expecting this, were you? Bazinga!


	5. Change of Plans

A/N: Chapter 5... Yah, I got nothing to really say. Some people expressed dislike at how Michael dropped the F-bomb last chapter. As you read, it got him nowhere, so he won't be doing it again. This chapter is where the Hurt-Comfort thing starts to come into play. Plus some bonding between Hiccup and Michael. Go read, I don't want to spoil it for you.

Disclaimer: HTTYD and related material isn't mine.

As Michael followed Hiccup to the forge, he noticed something he had missed. Hiccup was missing a foot.

"What happened to your foot?" He asked.

"What? This? A little souvenir from my battle with the Red Death." The boy then launched into a story about what had happened in his life since the night when he had shot Toothless down. He finished with, "And the last thing I remember is seeing Toothless diving at me and feeling the flames on my back."

"Wow, you're one lucky... guy." Michael managed to not swear since doing so had ended rather poorly for him so far.

"Not really. You could say I'm unlucky. A walking disaster, as some would say."

"Hmm." Michael muttered noncommittally. They had arrived at the forge. Hiccup quickly showed Michael what he needed to do, and Michael set about doing it. They worked most of the morning. Hiccup was a good smith thanks to his small hands which let him do detail work, but Michael had that and muscle as well. As they stopped for lunch, Hiccup decided to learn about his new assistant.

"So, what's Canada like?"

"Kinda like this island. It gets really cold in the winter and warm in the summer. It's a big land with lots of people, all of them different."

"Huh. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No brothers, but two sisters. One older and one younger." Michael supplied, absently scratching a scar on his left arm.

"Were did you get that?"

"Oh, this? Ray. He was beating my one day, about two months ago, and there must have been a rock or something in his shoe because when he kicked me, it sliced my arm open. I needed quite a few stitches."

"He sounds like a... a... a dick." Hiccup proclaimed after deciding on an appropriate name.

"Yah, he is. My dad keeps telling me to fight back, but I really don't like the idea of pissing him of more then he usually is, and he usually has his pack of cronies around. Besides, by the time the idea of fighting back comes to mind, I'm usually on the ground with a foot in my gut."

"I know what you mean."

"You get beaten up?"

"Before I met Toothless, quite often. Ruff and Tuff were usually the ones doing it, or Snotlout."

"Tough life."

"It was. But it's pretty good now. No one would dare touch me with the intent of harming me. Toothless sees to that."

"Umm, yah, about him..."

"You want to apologize or something?" Hiccup asked, his voice shifting to a more dangerous tone that indicated, despite his friendly attitude, he was still royally pissed about Michael's actions.

"Umm..." Michael stopped himself. What did you say to someone whose best friend you just shot? Michael gave up trying to think of something. "Just forget I said anything."

"Mrm." Hiccup grunted. "Alright, back to work." He declared having lost his friendly attitude. Michael knew he had just made a big mistake in how he handled that situation. The rest of the day passed in awkward silence with Hiccup only speaking when he needed to. By the end of the day, Michael was tired and had earned several burns from the forge which Hiccup had chuckled at in a smug way. Snotlout was leading Michael back to his cell in the dragon ring.

"I think he hates me." Michael declared to the younger boy.

"No, really?" Snotlout replied sarcastically. "You took a huge chunk out of his Night Fury. Could very well have killed it. Why would he hate you?"

"Shut up, maggot brains." Michael snapped back. It was obvious Snotlout was a smug, arrogant kid. Michael wondered how long he could last until he punched him.

"Sure thing scale head." Snotlout shot back, not realizing how close to Michael's secret he was.

As they entered the ring, Snotlout's eyes widened as he watched the dragons react to Michael. Every dragon in the ring was gathered opposite Michael, trying to stay as far away as possible. Michael walked to his cell, and the dragons maintained as much distance as possible. Snotlout managed to tear his gaze away long enough to lock the door to the cell, but then he was running as fast as possible to Stoick's house.

-IMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Michael sighed, sitting down on the stone floor. It was getting cold. Chuckling to himself, he shifted to his anthropomorphic form and curled up to sleep. The fire in his belly would keep him warm. As he drifted to sleep, he thought about what he'd done. If Stoick decided to keep him here until the Night Fury was fully recovered, he could be here for months. His family would worry about him. How would he explain his disappearance? Or the scale patch on his arm? These thoughts plagued him until he finally lapsed into rest.

Suddenly, Michael was standing on a pebbly beach, a huge mountain rising up into the distance, lava flowing from the peak.

_::Awe inspiring, isn't it?::_ A mysterious voice said. Michael turned to confront the speaker. It turned out to be the last thing Michael wanted to see.

"Where am I?" Michael demanded.

_::A dream, but not.::_ Toothless replied from where he was sitting a few feet from Michael.

"What do you want? Are you going to torment me? Cus' you a bit late for that."

_::No, just give you a warning. Hiccup told me how you've been assigned to look after him in my place. I wanted to let you know that if he comes to harm because of your actions... or inaction, I'll make you wish I was here to torment you.::_

"Meh, threats, typical. I'm not scared."

_::Maybe you should be. After all, I know what you are now.::_

That caught Michael off guard. "What are you talking about?"

_::Don't think I don't know. I can smell it. You smell like a dragon, but a human as well. You smell like a half-ling. You better take care of Hiccup, or not even your now found powers will be able to save you.::_

Michael tried to form a reply, but the dream was slipping from him. Someone was unlocking the door to his cell.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Hiccup got home and immediately went to sit near Toothless. The large dragon was breathing slowly but steadily. His side had stopped bleeding. Dragons healed much faster then humans. Under his eyelids, the dragon's eyes flicked back and forth rapidly as he dreamed. One of his eyes opened to look at Hiccup.

"Hey bud, how ya doing?"

_::I've told you before, I'll live.::_ He grunted.

"Sorry for disturbing you." Hiccup apologized, unable to understand the dragon. "Get some more rest." Toothless nodded and resumed his snooze.

Hiccup and Stoick were eating dinner when someone started pounding at the door. Stoick got up and opened it to reveal a breathless Snotlout.

"What?" Stoick asked grumpily. He didn't like his dinner being interrupted.

"That guy? The stranger?" Snotlout wheezed.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked, concerned. There was no end to trouble that guy would cause if he was loose.

"I dunno, but I think you should come see."

I took a few minutes to gather Gobber, the other teens, plus two other Vikings for security. They all proceeded to the ring together. As they entered, jaws dropped. The dragons were practically climbing over one another to get as far away from the cell Michael was in as possible. Hiccup hadn't seen a dragon act like this since he had found out that dragons hated eels.

"What's gotten into them?" Stoick wondered. He quickly made his way to the cell and hit the lever to open it. As the lock opened, the others gathered behind him. The inside of the cell was dark and it took a few seconds for Stoick's eyes to adjust. However, when they did, Michael was lying in the middle of the cell, just as Snotlout had left him.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Michael looked groggily up at the Vikings. He had just managed to shift to human before they could see him. Even as the doors opened, the last of his scales were disappearing. He noticed Astrid glaring suspiciously at him.

"What?" Michael demanded. "It's not enough that you throw me in this cell, but now you won't let me sleep either?"

"Change of plans." Stoick grunted. "You're staying at my house so I can keep an eye on you. Besides, we can't have the dragons riled up like this." He said, gesturing to the dragon pileup.

"Whatever. Just so long as I get fed and can sleep, I could care less about location."

The walk back to Stoick's house was made in silence. The others dispersed along the way. As they climbed up the hill, Hiccup continued to glare at Michael. Suddenly, Stoick stopped at the door.

"Here are the rules." He said. "You will only eat what is given to you. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will sleep in the living area where Toothless can watch you. Just because he can't chase you down doesn't mean he won't spite fire at you. That, and raise enough of a ruckus to have the entire village up in seconds. Consider yourself warned."

Michael nodded nervously. His dream was clear in his mind. They entered the house. Stoick and Hiccup sat down to eat. Michael planted himself opposite the Night Fury who was giving him the evil eye and huffing slightly. Michael sighed. He almost preferred the cell to this. Toothless looked like he wanted blood, and Michael didn't blame him.

A/N 2: So, thoughts? Berk is going to learn Michael's secret in a very dramatic way. No more hints!

Review please. Flames = smores :D


	6. The Revelation

A/N: Chapter 6, we're really moving!

_::That we are!::_

Bug off, you're supposed to be getting ready for the story, not watching me write my thoughts down.

_::Fine, but you owe me extra fish.::_

Fat, lazy, overgrown, rotund, salamander! Be gone!

Ok, I managed to get one more chapter before the day's end. Michael gets to be the hero this time, not the villain... Not that that's a good thing. Read on, brave adventurer, read on!

Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD or any related material. The sea monster design it mine though.

Michael woke to the same thing he'd been waking to for the past week and a half. The low warning growl of a dragon. Specifically, one Toothless the Night Fury. It seemed that dragon still had a bone to pick with Michael, despite how well he was looking after the dragon's partner, Hiccup. Michael sighed and looked back on the past week and a half. He had saved Hiccup for no less then five burns and at least twice as many trips and falls. The kid was a walking disaster zone, only on steroids.

Toothless growled louder once he realized Michael was awake.

"Good freaking morning to you to." He snapped at the dragon. Toothless was just about the only one Michael used harsh language with since the loathing seemed to be mutual. The dragon narrowed his eyes, giving a slight snarl.

"I'm still not afraid of you, so give up trying to intimidate me." The last half week had been painful. Toothless had healed surprisingly fast. He had been walking about after a week of lying around. The large black dragon shadowed Hiccup everywhere and was extremely unforgiving of any mistakes Michael made. Even Hiccup was at a loss for Toothless' actions.

"He's not usually like this." Hiccup had apologized after Michael had nearly been 'accidentally' stepped on. Michael knew why Toothless was being so hostile. The same reason all the other dragons avoided Michael like he was the Plague. It was because he was a half-ling, half human, half dragon. That and because Michael had shot him. Apparently dragons carried grudges for a long time.

Hiccup descending the stairs brought Michael out of his thoughts. Toothless gave a happy bark before resuming his growling at Michael. Hiccup sighed, quickly wolfing down his breakfast.

"So, guess what!" Hiccup mumbled around his breakfast.

"No." Michael replied, in no mood to cater to the teens up-beat attitude.

"I've got the day off!" Hiccup announced.

Toothless chirped happily while Michael moaned. That meant the kid was going to be all over the place today. Michael prepared himself for complete misery. It didn't take long for Hiccup to introduce Michael to all his friends and the other major people in his life. The kid was still trying to be nice to Michael, but he could tell it was not because he wanted to. Toothless had no restrictions on his behaviour and took every opportunity to make Michael's life living Hell. His most common trick was using his tail to trip Michael and then give him an earful about something, probably sitting down on the job. Hiccup smirked when this happened.

Noon found the three of them on the wood path leading to the docks. Hiccup was struggling along, his foot getting caught from time to time in the rough wood. It wouldn't have been a problem if Toothless hadn't chosen one of those moments to express his affection for Hiccup. The combination of a gently push and a caught foot put the teen off balance, enough that he stumbled and went sprawling... right off the edge of the path.

"Ah, damn it." Michael cursed. Toothless was looking panicky before suddenly gazing up at Michael and whining at him.

"Fine, I'll go get him." Michael sighed, walking to the edge. Hiccup could be seen, struggling to stay afloat. Michael pulled off his heavy clothes so he could swim better. He glanced down again to check on Hiccup. He was gone. It took Michael a moment to spot him. The undertow had grabbed the boy and was dragging him with alarming speed toward the open ocean.

Michael reviewed his options. They were slim. The boy wouldn't be able to stay afloat until a boat could get him and Michael himself wasn't a strong enough swimmer to rescue him considering how far he was from the shore. That left only one option. The boy needed a dragon rescue. Toothless was out of the question and no other dragons were nearby.

"Why me?" Michael wondered before leaping off the path. The water rushed up to meet him. He closed his eyes and brought the appropriate image to mind. Long serpentine body, a kind of crest running down each side (like the fins on a squid), gills. His skin did made that familiar tingling sensation as he hit the water. He opened his eyes, orienting on Hiccup, and began plowing through the water.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Toothless was in a panic. Astrid was suddenly beside him.

"Where's Hiccup?" She asked. Toothless gestured toward the water where a small speck could be seen bobbing on the waves.

"Oh crap, hold on, I'll get help." And get help she did. Quickly, most of the village was alerted to the problem, mostly by Toothless' panicked shrieks. They gathered on the docks as some tried to get a boat in the water. Astrid was watching Hiccup struggle to stay floating. Suddenly, he disappeared beneath the waves.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Hiccup was struggling to stay floating. His prosthetic wasn't helping. Suddenly, his arms were too tired to support him and he slipped beneath the waves. He opened his eyes, looking toward the surface, so close but so far. Movement caught the corner of his eye and he turned toward it. The creature swimming toward him was terror embodied. The sharp crests on either side that seemed to serve as propulsion, the long body and razor teeth all came together into a monster creature.

It swam up to him and stared. Hiccup was sinking, but the creature was keeping pace. He saw resentment in its eyes, as if it didn't want to help him but had no choice. Hiccup promised himself he would give this thing whatever it wanted if it saved him. As his vision began to blur, he felt a smooth body under him and then, hazily, noticed that his descent had reversed. As the creature breached, Hiccup gasped for air.

"Oh, the Gods love me. Thank you so much." Hiccup gasped.

"Hrmph." Michael's voice answered. "What choice do I have?"

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

Stoick was in despair. Hiccup had gone under almost a minute ago and hadn't surfaced. Curse that Michael boy, he was supposed to protect Hiccup.

"I'm sorry Stoick." Gobber said. "There's no way were getting a boat out there in time."

"It can't be. He must still be -" Stoick was interrupted by a sea monster rising out of the ocean by the docks. The massive serpent rose from the sea like a demon, using its powerful muscles to drag its body across the dock. Suddenly, it stopped. From the creature's back came a boy, coughing the water out of his lungs.

"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted, running to his son and hugging him.

"I'm okay dad, really." Hiccup said, trying to extradite himself from Stoick's grasp.

"I should hope you are." The sea monster said, to everyone's amazement. "You're survival is the most likely way I'm going to get home."

"You have my thanks for saving my son, but what are you talking about?" Stoick asked, confused.

The monster didn't respond, but instead began shrinking. Its scales turned white as snow with blue highlighting. A pair of wings grew from its back and a tail. Four fins in a + configuration were on the tail. It slowly took a human-ish form.

"What are you?" Stoick gasped.

"Who. I'm amazed you don't recognize my voice, but not overly so since everyone here seems to treat me like dirt."

"It can't be."

"I'd like some clothes before I shift back to full human... Unless you want to see me naked."

"Astrid, go get him some clothes." Stoick said absentmindedly.

Before anymore could be said, Toothless came from where he had been examining Hiccup to make sure the boy was alright. He looked Michael up and down before huffing and giving an approving nod. He then stalked away to resume his examination of Hiccup. Michael allowed his mouth to form a grin. The dragon may still have been pissed with him, but he had done something the Night Fury couldn't. He had saved Hiccup where Toothless never would have been able to, injured or not. Maybe now the stubborn dragon would treat him with some respect.

Astrid returned with clothes. Michael sighed. He suspected he had a great deal of explaining to do.

A/N 2: Heh, the cat's out of the bag now. How will Berk react to this? Black magic, some trick of Loki, a deal with Satan?

_::Why do I have to like him?::_

You don't, just respect him for saving Hiccup.

_::But he SHOT me!::_

Deal with it, I'm the writer.

_::Not for much longer at this rate.::_

Review please! And tell Toothless not to kill me.

_::I'm going to do more then kill you.::_

Erp!


	7. The Explanation

A/N: I'm going to have to slow down on the rate I'm putting out chapters. Maybe one a day (except Sunday when I'll try to do more). This 2/3 a day is putting too much stress on me and I need to devote more attention to my school work.

_::What am I supposed to do in that time?::_

Oh, I don't know, go sun yourself or something!

_::Fine.::_

Disclaimer: HTTYD isn't mine nor is any material related to it.

Chapter 7, not much action. A lot of talking and explaining. I need to tie some loose ends that have been hanging around since the start, like what's going on with Michael's family. Forgot about them, didn't you? Go read. I'll wait for you on the other side.

Anne was worried. It had been a week and a half since her son failed to come home from school. The police had been called and a search had been made. Nothing had been found. Only yesterday, the police had called off the search, saying that it was unlikely they were going to find anything. They made the usual promises about continuing to listen for any news, but Anne knew is was a pile of lies.

Jason had been hit hard by his son's disappearance. He constantly blamed himself for something, although he wasn't sure what. Ally couldn't understand why her older brother wasn't around. She would constantly ask where he was. Usually, Karine would catch the question before Anne had to answer. The girl was taking her younger brother's absence in stride, but Anne knew it was hard on her. They all missed him. All of them wondered where he was and if he was alright.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

It didn't take long for the rest of Berk to hear about what had happened at the docks. It took even less time for the entire village to gather in the Meade Hall. Stoick had called a meeting to discuss what had happened and to try to get some answers before people started making their own.

"Quiet! Quiet down everyone!" Stoick bellowed into the crowd. The Hall quickly grew silent.

"Now, I know many of you only know what happened by word of mouth. So I'll put to rest any rumours as to what happened. Hiccup tripped and fell into the ocean. Michael then dived after him and brought him back to shore."

There was several mutterings from the gathered about sea monsters and demon powers. Stoick glared until they stopped. "However, the manner in which he did it is what we are here to discuss. Michael..."

"Yah, I'm here." Michael said, sounding reluctant to admit his presence. "What do you want?"

"I want an explanation."

"About what? My home? My life? My family? My favorite dinner?"

"About how you gained your powers."

"What powers?" Someone asked from the crowd.

"If I knew, I would tell you." Michael replied, ignoring the person.

"Wait!" Hiccup said from where he was lying against Toothless, warming up. "What about that dragon that bit you?"

"What about it?"

"It might have been a species as rare Night Furies." Hiccup said, earning a snort from Toothless. "Sorry, almost as rare." Toothless purred.

_::Better. None are as rare as a Night Fury.::_

"What species?" Stoick asked. He knew dragons, it had been his life until Hiccup turned it upside down.

"A Shadowy Shifter." Hiccup said, earning a sharp hiss from Toothless.

_::That's not a dragon, it's a parasite, a horrible, disgusting creature that has no honour or pride.::_ Toothless growled.

"Easy bud. Anyhow, not much is known at it. Those who encounter it are never found, not even their bodies. It's said the dragon lays a curse on those it bites, although since no one ever returns, nothing is known about the curse. What if that curse is becoming a dragon?"

"That thing had fangs like some snakes I've seen." Michael mused. "Giant needles meant for injecting venom. Maybe that venom... I don't know... rewrites the human genome, mutates a person's DNA. But then, why am I half, and why can I change at will?"

"Well, maybe it's because you're a freak!" Snotlout proclaimed, looking smug.

Michael's eyes lit up. "Of course!"

"What?" Almost everyone asked at once.

"Evolution. Over time, human DNA has changed in response to environmental factors. Small changes, but enough that the venom can't do its job properly. It does a partial job."

Even Hiccup looked lost at this. "Some more explaining would be nice." He said.

"The venom didn't finish its job. Instead of turning me into a dragon, it just left dragon DNA in me which I can somehow merge with my own genes to change at will from human to half to full for any species of dragon!"

"More likely he's a slave to Loki." Someone said in the crowd, causing a murmur to begin.

"Loki?"

"The trickster god." Hiccup informed Michael, not feeling like explaining Norse mythology in its entirety.

Toothless was looking anxiously at the crowd. He had heard them in this state before. It had been when he and Hiccup had first returned from defeating the Red Death. The people of Berk had been restless about having dragons living with them. Toothless had almost ended up with an axe in this head after one Viking decided he must have bewitched Stoick. The dragon knew unless the crowd was calmed and their fears banished, things would get ugly.

_::Michael.::_ He chirped.

"Hmmm?" Michael said, realizing the dragon was talking to him.

_::Come here.::_ He growled, moving his head to relay his request.

"O-kay." Michael said, looking more then a little anxious about being near the dragon.

He walked over to where the dragon was lying and knelt down. The two stared at each other for a long time before Toothless leaned forward and nuzzled Michael.

_::Thank you for saving Hiccup.::_ He purred.

"Well, if the beast trusts him," Stoick said, "then I suppose we can as well."

That was enough to satisfy the crowd, who began to disperse.

"So, am I still staying at your place?" Michael asked Hiccup.

_::I still haven't forgiven you for shooting me.::_ Toothless growled.

"Easy Toothless." Hiccup chuckled. "Yah, I guess you are. After all, it would be poor thanks to my rescuer to leave him in a cell."

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

A month passed between Michael's rescue of Hiccup and when Toothless finally fully recovered. In that time, the people of Berk learned to deal with the site of Michael in his half-dragon form. It had several advantages such as being stronger, faster, able to fly, and breath fire (or acid or ice).

Eventually, the last of the bandages came off, revealing the black scales underneath. Michael was surprised by the lack of scaring, but he had learned dragons were hearty creatures. Scaring wasn't common. This made the scar on Toothless' neck somewhat of an oddity.

Michael had managed to learn Dragonese in his time at the village. Dragon's had a amazing amount of things to say. Nadders were vain creatures, while Gronkles were lazy beggers. Terrors were little excitable things that reminded Michael of some smaller breeds of dogs. Nightmares were huffy and aggressive as well as pissy at times. The only dragon Michael didn't know much about was Toothless. The Night Fury remained silent at his attempts to communicate.

Michael knew Toothless understood the spoken language and Dragonese too. However, the black dragon clearly hadn't gotten over being shot. He had stopped making Michael's life Hell after the rescue, but he steadfastly refused to interact with Michael unless necessary and then, never with the spoken word.

Hiccup, on the other hand, had warmed up to Michael a great deal. It had taken having his life saved to get him to look past the fact that Michael had shot Toothless and look at the person underneath. The two had a surprising amount of similarities. They were both smarter then average, loved making things, cared for their family, had had rough childhoods, and loved arguing details (in a friendly way). Hiccup was amazed by Michael's knowledge. Michael taught the boy everything he knew about physics, math, chemistry, biology, and his world in general.

"So, if you know somethings mass and its speed, you can calculate the energy?" Hiccup asked, trying to confirm what Michael had told him about kinetic energy.

"And other things. Like knowing energy and mass, you get speed."

_::What's the point?::_ Toothless rumbled, catching Michael off-guard. It was the first time since the Meade Hall Toothless had spoken to him.

"The point?" Michael said, thinking. "Well, the human body can take about 50 G, or 50 times the force of gravity. So, if you're diving toward the ground at some velocity, you have energy. When you pull up, that energy gets turned to force because objects don't like to change direction. This means g-forces. Go above 50, and Hiccup could be injured or killed by the force."

That sent Toothless for a loop. _::What about dragons?::_

"I don't know a darn thing about your physiology, so I can't say what a dragon can take. Probably more then a human."

"Your world sounds incredible." Hiccup sighed.

"It's not as amazing as it sounds." Michael said, sounding sad. "A lot of what I've told you has been used to do some very nasty things. Guns are an example. There's a kind of gun called a machine gun. They don't fire one bullet at a time, but hundreds per second." Hiccup stared in horror. "Or the A-bomb."

"What?"

_::What's a bomb?::_

"A bomb is a explosive that is dropped from an aircraft." Michael explained. "An A-bomb uses something called fission. A single nuclear bomb can destroy a city of millions in the blink of an eye and leave nothing but a crater. There are bunches of them in my world with twitchy politicians holding their hands over the launch button. Just a couple years ago, we almost had nuclear Armageddon."

"That's terrible." Hiccup said.

"It gets worse. A nuclear bomb doesn't just destroy. It poisons the ground and the people nearby for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Nothing can live or grow, people suffer terrible sickness, babies are born with horrible deformities. It's kind of a blessing that they've only been used twice."

_::It sounds like a terrible way to die.::_

"It would be. So," Michael said, changing topics, "why are you suddenly talking to me?"

_::Am I? I don't know. I was just so bored listening to you drone on about such pointless topics. Do you realize how monotone your voice gets when you talk for a long time?::_

"At least I have a voice."

Toothless only grunted in reply. The dragon got up and went to go find food, leaving Hiccup and Michael.

"So, now that Toothless is back to his normal self," Hiccup said, "we should try to get you home."

"Yah, we should."

"Any ideas?"

"No."

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out."

"Yah. I'm sure we will." Michael wasn't happy about the idea of going home. He hated to admit it, but he liked life here. However, he couldn't leave his family. Although, how he was going to explain his month-long absence he didn't know.

A/N 2: And that's the Friendship! Even Toothless is starting to warm to Michael.

_::Am not!::_

I'm writing, you're following!

_::I'm going to smash that computer at this rate.::_

Go sun yourself. You're all done for the day.

_::Fine. Watch your back.::_

Erp...

There aren't going to be many more chapters. This story is a launch point for a series of stories involving Toothless, Hiccup, Michael, and other fandoms using the Worldgate as a mechanic. I'll explain the Worldgate later. Review please!

_::And leave fish!::_


	8. The Goodbye

**A/N:** Welcome one and all to Chapter 8! As promised, Sunday = updates. I've got a new fic in the works, so I'll be flipping between stories except Saturdays when I do none and Sundays when I do as much as possible.

_::Wait, I have to be two places at one? Come on!::_

At least it's not 3 chapters a day! Why can you not let me write in peace?

_::Because it's fun to annoy you. You give a great reaction.::_

*Under breath* Stinkin', lousy, annoying little-

_::One more word and I'll do something that I can't describe here.::_

**Disclaimer:** HTTYD is not mine at all.

* * *

"Hiccup, we've been out here for hours!" Snotlout whined. "Let's go home. We're not finding anything."

"You guys go home, I'm staying." Hiccup relied.

"Hiccup, as much as I hate to say it, I think Snotlout's right." Astrid said.

::I'll stick with you Hiccup.:: Toothless grunted.

"I'm not going in." Michael said from where he was standing, looking around the forest.

"Ta' Hel with this." Tuffnut said. "I'm going back. You can all freeze out here."

"I'm with Tuff." Fishlegs said.

"For once, so am I." Ruffnut said.

"I'll stay if you really want me to." Astrid said.

"Nah, you guys all go. Me, Toothless, and Michael will keep looking." Hiccup sighed.

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

"Okay, lets start from where you fell into the cove." Hiccup said. It was near midnight and he was getting tired.

"Fine." Michael grunted, having shifted to anthro-form to keep warm. "I fell in here, so I was walking from... there." He said, pointing.

"Lets head in that direction. Come on Toothless."

Toothless yawned from where he had been napping while the two boys worked out what to do next. The three of them moved back along the path Michael had walked. Suddenly, Michael put a hand out to stop them.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

"No." Replied Hiccup.

_::... Yes.::_ Toothless growled. _::It sounds like the wind rushing through stone. Kinda like a flute.::_

"Exactly Toothless." Michael said. "This way."

The trio emerged into a clearing. It looked normal at first glance. Michael spotted something immediately. The light in the center of the clearing fell wrong, like it was coming from somewhere else. The musical sound was coming from that odd spot, a kind of hum resonating through the air, ground, through everything.

"Wow." Michael said.

_::Took the words right out of my mouth.::_ Toothless grunted.

"It must be some sort of naturally occurring rip in... in... space, time, everything. A gate of sorts. A gate between worlds."

"Cool." Hiccup said. "Hey, this means we can visit each other any time. I could come see your world!"

"Not a good idea." Michael said. "Dragons don't exist in my world, except as myth and legend. Maybe, when school is done and my family is away, I could visit here or you could visit me..."

"Well, then I guess for now this is goodbye." Hiccup said, sounding sad at the idea.

"I guess it is. But don't frown. To be honest, I kinda like it here. I think I'll be visiting lots. After all, it's the only place I can be a dragon without attracting the FBI."

"Who?"

"Never mind. I'll explain some other time."

_::Michael.::_ Toothless said, strangely quiet. _::I just want to say... Thanks for saving Hiccup.::_

"No problem Toothless."

_::And... I'm still going to get you for shooting me!::_ He growled.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Michael stepped up to the Worldgate, unsure of exactly what would happen when he walked through. With a sigh, he shifted back to human and, with a wave to Hiccup and Toothless, he stepped through.

_::Well, back to life as it was.::_ Toothless grunted.

"Yah, I guess we should get back bud."

-IAMAHORIZONTALPAGEDIVIDER-

The reunion was something to behold. Anne couldn't stop hugging Michael as if to make sure he was real. Jason just stood staring as if he couldn't believe this was his son, dressed in rough wool clothes and a bear skin jacket, laptop case across his back. Ally was exited but refused to hug Michael because he "smelled funny" and Karine just frowned in the way she did when she was trying to work out a hard problem.

It took two hours for things to settle down. Michael was showered, shaved, and dressed in normal clothes again with a sweat band covering the scale patch on his arm. When asked what happened, Michael simply said he had been walking home when suddenly everything went black. When he came to, he got up and walked home. He could tell Karine didn't believe him, but Anne and Jason could have cared less if he was abducted and taken to Mars as long as he was safe and sound.

Michael chuckled to himself. Ray wasn't going to be a problem anymore. Not now that Michael had a dragon's strength and agility. School would be easier. Dragon's were naturally good problem solvers and loved to learn. Not that school had been hard before. Just as long as no one knew about the Worldgate in the forest and what was on the other side, life would go on as normal. Well, as normal as can be when you have a half-dragon in the house. Michael smiled and let sleep claim him.

* * *

**A/N 2:** And there it is. I've got a sequel on the way. Can't have Michael always going to Berk. Some time, Berk just has to come here. Summer vacation FTW. Guess who has to watch the house?

_::So I'm done for now?::_

For a day... Maybe.

_::Can you ever just give a straight answer ?::_

Nope. Dragon's love riddles.

_::Not this dragon.::_

So, I mark this as complete. I'm going to start getting my Dragon Booster x Alien story up over the next while (just getting it formatted, fixing mistakes, etc) so that should hold you over until I can get the sequel up. As always, review.

_::Flames will be met with flames!::_


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